枪

• Pinyin: qiāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 枪 = 木 (wood) + 仓 (granary, phonetic), originally spear, now firearm

Meaning

Gun; firearm; rifle. A weapon that fires bullets or projectiles.

Types include: 手枪 (pistol), 步枪 (rifle), 机关枪 (machine gun). Extended uses: 枪毙 (execute by firing squad), 枪手 (gunman/ghostwriter), 起跑枪 (starting pistol). Historically also meant spear.

Examples

1. 警察从犯罪嫌疑人身上搜出一把枪。 The police found a gun on the suspect.
2. 运动员听到发令枪响后立刻起跑。 Athletes start running immediately when they hear the starting pistol.
3. 这部电影有很多枪战场面。 This movie has many gunfight scenes.

Usage Guide

Context: military, police, sports

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 中国对枪支管理非常严格。(China has very strict gun control.)
• 他是射击队的神枪手。(He's the sharpshooter of the shooting team.)

Don't Say

• 我买了一把枪。(In China, civilian gun ownership is illegal — this sentence would raise immediate concerns)

Origin & History

Originally 木 (wood) + 仓 (granary), referring to a wooden spear. Later adopted for firearms.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal